Crimson Skies
by Khiro
Summary: Akutsu sits alone on the rooftop and just thinks about things when Dan comes to find him. Pairing: AkuDan


Title: Crimson Sky

Author: Kei Tsukasa/khiro

Pairing: AkuDan

Disclaimer: I don't own Prince of Tennis…if I did, the series would go from heavy shounen-ai hinting to full on yaoi D

Red…

All he could see was the color red, the deep shade of crimson that often was associated with the color of blood. Throughout Akutsu's life he had faced a great number of hardships, primarily being picked on or having to fight for some reason or another. Each time Akutsu fought he ended up being battered and beaten, but each time Akutsu lost it would only make him stronger, resulting in him winning the next battle. Even when his mother enrolled him into Yamabuki Chuu, a fairly prestigious private school, Akutsu didn't stop fighting.

One reason for this could be attributed to his unusual looks, pale skin, yellow eyes, and white spiked hair, while another reason was because Akutsu was just plain cocky. Due to Akutsu's unusual appearance he had been called a great deal of names, none that he bothered to remember. However, Akutsu too great pleasure in the reactions he received due to his looks, especially since it also had a tendency to strike fear into nearly everyone he met. That is to say, all except for a small boy named Dan Taichi.

Akutsu took a long drag from his cigarette, nearly a nub, as he started into the crimson sky above him as he thought about that boy. Akutsu's vision has long be corrupted due to his many fights so he no longer had the ability to distinct one color from another. Everything he saw was in shades of red, similar to all of the blood that both Akutsu and his enemies had shed. Then again he didn't really care as he exhaled, allowing the smoke to exit his lungs and mouth as his mind refocused on the small boy that was practically his shadow. With a soft sigh Akutsu put out the cigarette in his right hand and put it out on the ground as he pulled out another one and lit it, before taking yet another long drag from it.

Any moment now Akutsu knew that the brat would be coming up the stairway and opening the door that lead to the rooftop. Probably questioning Akutsu about why he wasn't in class again, as he should be. It was all very irritating and would have grated his nerves if it had been anyone other than Dan, but since it was Dan…Akutsu just couldn't bring himself to turn a hand against the boy no matter what he did or how much he bothered Akutsu. He just couldn't understand or explain it and for some reason that fact just didn't irritate him as much as he thought it should, as he allowed a fresh stream of smoke exit from his mouth.

Taking another drag from his freshly lit cigarette he started counting down from ten mentally, almost as if he was counting on something to happen when he reached zero. The moment Akutsu's mind had completed the little countdown the only door opened, with a small crashing noise as a small boy in the pristine white Yamabuki uniform made his appearance. His hair was far more disheveled than it regularly was and the all too familiar green headband was a bit out of place as the young boy took a step onto the actually roof.

The younger boy was panting heavily, obvious caused by him exhausting his body, probably from running up the stairs to reach Akutsu. In all honestly Akutsu didn't know why the younger boy was in such a rush to get to him so quickly. It wasn't as if Akutsu was going to go somewhere that the brat couldn't find him, but Akutsu merely shrugged off that thought. After all it was the brat's decision to run up the steps. For a brief moment there was nothing but silence between the two of them, but finally Akutsu made the first move. With his right hand Akutsu too his cigarette and smashed into the ground putting it out like he had with the one he was smoking earlier.

"You're late kozou," was all that Akutsu said as he turned his gaze from the sky to Dan for a few minutes, acknowledging that the younger boy was there, before returning his gaze to the sky. For some reason unknown to Akutsu, Dan was the only person he could see in full color, rather than muted shades of red. From Dan's pale skin, although nowhere near as pale as Akutsu's, that were in contrast to his ebony hair, complemented by the green headband that Akutsu had thrown away. Another thing that Akutsu noticed about Dan was that his skin was that it was unmarked and unscarred, quite a drastic difference from Akutsu's broken and bruised body. There was a definite purity and innocence about the younger boy, a purity that a part of Akutsu wanted to take away…

Once more Akutsu's right hand further smashed the cigarette that he still held into the ground to relieve some of his frustration. Akutsu couldn't help, but wonder where those thoughts were coming from, especially since the two of them were male. Probably because Akutsu was becoming a horny teenager, at least that was the excuse he used as his hand kept on smashing the already smash cigarette into the floor. In many ways the boy who was practically shadowed bothered him, even though Akutsu couldn't explain why he was bothered. Probably because he couldn't understand why such a pure boy would take such an interest in someone like Akutsu. Before Akutsu's thoughts could go any further Dan started to speak, interrupting Akutsu's thoughts.

"I-I'm sorry desu!" Dan exclaimed as somehow when Akutsu had been thinking the smaller boy had moved to right in front of him. He bowed deeply before the older boy before quickly readjusted himself so that he was standing up right once again before taking a seat on Akutsu's left side. Perhaps it was because that side was closer to the door, or perhaps because Dan had noticed that Akutsu had been putting out cigarettes on the right. Once more Akutsu's thoughts were interrupted as Dan began speaking again.

"Did you skip class again Akutsu-senpai?' the youth asked ash he covered his mouth to permit himself to get used to the scent of smoke.

"Does it matter?" was all Akutsu said as he hid the remainder of the cigarette that was lit only a few minutes prior. It was a well known fact that Akutsu was heavy smoker and drinker, even though Akutsu was still just in Junior High, but for some reason he just wanted to hide his horrible habits from Dan. Perhaps it was his subconscious trying to protect Dan from the demon that Akutsu truly is.

A worried, but somehow serious expression appeared on Dan's face as he did his best to concentrate on the ground, rather than at Akutsu, as he had been a few minutes prior. Akutsu wasn't used to that sort of face on Dan, it just seemed a bit off to him, but merely shrugged off that thought as soon as Dan started speaking again.

"Of course desu! I worry about you and about some of the things you do…Like when you ditch class to come up here and smoke." At that last statement Dan looked at Akutsu directly in the eyes.

Once more Akutsu's eyes focused on Dan's chocolate brown eyes, opposed to focusing on what Dan had just told him. Having his vision zoom out a bit Akutsu studied the deep blush that was now apparently forming on Dan's delicate pale cheeks. It suited Dan nicely, or so Akutsu thought as he placed a hand to move away Dan's loose strands of hair, covering those eyes that Akutsu just couldn't pull himself to look away from.

Even though Akutsu didn't really want to force himself to look away totally away from those gorgeous and entrancing eyes he just couldn't help it, but take in look down a bit further, noticing his red pouted lips. Never before had Akutsu been so relieved to see a shade of red before. Something he knew that was a genuine shade, rather colors that were a result from his distorted vision.

Slowly, Akutsu found himself moving closer and closer towards those lush, red lips he had been admiring until…


End file.
